Awards for Luke Cotellessa

Awards for Luke Cotellessa

Hearty congratulations must go to Year 6 student Luke Cotellessa who has been recognised in the Australia Day WA Community Citizen of the Year (Youth) Awards. The Awards reward and recognise individuals and organisations making a notable contribution during the current year, and/or those who have given outstanding service over a number of years. Luke’s award recognised that he has been “fostering Australian pride and spirit through active Citizenship and an outstanding contribution to community”.

Luke was also awarded a Community News Local Sports Star Award in 2017 and was announced as a batonbearer for the 2018 Commonwealth Games Queen Baton Relay. On the Commonwealth Games website, Luke’s citation reads:In 2014 when he was eight, Luke began ‘Luke's Boots for the Outback’. After seeing a documentary of young kids like him in remote Western Australia playing AFL barefoot on any surface they could find with worn-out footballs, he decided he wanted to help. Since then he has collected and distributed over 6,000 items, including footballs and boots for Pilbara communities. Luke works hard cleaning, sizing, relacing, asking, collecting, packing, sorting and donating his pocket money. On top of this, he keeps up his grades, his sport, and other commitments. He uses his initiative and is passionate in his hope for all children to enjoy equal opportunities. Luke is also an outstanding sportsman, awarded Best and Fairest footballer, Little Athletics Western Australia Member, with numerous records in track and field, he also competes in cross-country representing his school.

The Queen’s Baton Relay 2018

Luke Cotellessa was chosen to run the first leg of the Queen’s Baton Relay through the City of Swan, from Midland Town Hall on the afternoon of 26 February 2018. This was a very exciting day for the community.

The Queen’s Baton started off from Buckingham Palace on 13 March 2017 on a 388-day journey through all the nations and territories of the Commonwealth and is expected to arrive in April at the Commonwealth Games in Queensland.

We are all so proud of Luke’s achievements and wish him well with his ongoing drive to help the communities in the outback. He is an inspiration to us all.